Polyacrylamide (PAM), a water-soluble polymer, is revolutionizing horticulture by improving water use efficiency and soil health, particularly in Pakistan’s water-scarce regions, offering a transformative solution. It reduces irrigation frequency by 30–40%, saving up to 50% of water while boosting crop yield by 20–50%. This results in a net profit increase of 30–60%, depending on the crop and soil type. Global studies show that PAM reduces soil erosion by 90–95% in furrow irrigation systems and increases water infiltration by 15–30%. Its hydrophilic properties enhance soil water-holding capacity by up to 400% compared to untreated soil, enabling plants to thrive in arid and semi-arid regions. Economically, the adoption of PAM is cost-effective. PAM also supports sustainable agriculture by mitigating the effects of water scarcity. These characteristics are in line with the objective of Pakistan to achieve agricultural sustainability and productivity. In conclusion, polyacrylamide is a feasible solution to address the water shortage in Pakistan and soil erosion, as well as to provide a significant amount of economic and environmental gains to the horticulture industry. The wide adoption of the technology could be triggered by pilot projects, farmer training, and government subsidies, which would change the agricultural landscape in the country.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leafy herb that contains many useful nutrients, allowing it to easily overcome the threats to food security in countries of the Global South by adding fiber/bulk, folate and other available nutrients. In 2020, almost 220 metric tons of lettuce was produced in Pakistan. This high production needs attention to meet the demand. Southern Pakistan is facing water crises and the hydroponic system is one revolutionary technique which can allow the region to meet its food demand. In this experiment, different treatment combinations were used to study their effects and evaluate the best combination of nutrients to get the maximum production of lettuce. Results are concluded on the basis of last-week (5th week) production of shoot and root mass. Treatment one (T1) performed outstanding overall out of all four treatments across all parameters. Maximum average root and shoot length (RL, SL) was observed in treatment one (T1) at 5.94 cm and 15.50 cm respectively. Shoot length is directly proportional to production of the head of the plant. For root and shoot weight (RW, SW) treatment 1 (T1) is more effective than treatment 2 (T2). For treatment 1, root weight (RW) was recorded at 0.09 g and shoot weight (SW) was 0.22 g. The hydroponic system demands huge capital investment, which can be compensated by high production of crops. To increase the efficiency of the system, there is a dire need to calculate optimum nutrient combinations for application to the crop for a sound food security plan.